San Francisco to Miami

Hi People

From New Zealand and new to this site but the boss and I are looking to travel San Francisco to Miami in October. Broadly using I-10 as our base. The boss is getting a bit uppity re driving through the long desert roads of NM and Arizona, Texas......might have to emotionally bribe her. Sounds like a few long days across.

Reading many posts but it seems very possible to do 200 miles per day and do this well inside the 1 month time frame.

We are pouring through may blogs/literature so any comments recommendations are welcomed. Also we are looking at camping in tents out of a rental car as we go.

Many thanks in advance for any posts

Last edited by Southwest Dave; 12-20-2011 at 02:16 AM.
Reason: Started seperate thread.

Start with a map.

Hi James, and Welcome to the The Great American RoadTrip Forum.

My best advice to you is to get yourself a large (wall size) map of the US. My favourite is the National Geographics map which shows all the parks and forests as well as the interstates, highways and urban centres. You should be able to get it at any good map store, and I know it is available online.

Check out what there is to see between SF and Miami which may interest you. Use the map centre (on the green bare above) to zoom in for detail.

This trip can be driven in an easy seven days, so your month should make for a nice relaxed trip. You will have time to detour through such wonders as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and the other great parks of the south west, as well as some of the great attractions in NM, AZ and TX. Not forgetting the attractions of the south east.

But first, get that map and start discussing with 'the boss' which attractions appeal. Once you have some dots on the map, the experts here can help fine tune the trip, and make further suggestions.

110 ?

I was just wondering what it is that attracts you to a particular Interstate route as a "broad base"? With a month at your disposal you can choose from thousands of combinations of routes to take you to sights that may appeal to you across the country. If 110 is where you want to head, that's fine. Just don't get 'blinkered' into following a straight path across the country and missing out.

Reading many posts but it seems very possible to do 200 miles per day and do this well inside the 1 month time frame

It is very possible to travel 5-600 miles a day and cross the country in 6 days, but that wouldn't leave time for sight seeing. So yes you have a nice amount of time to travel and spend quality time exploring. As Lifey mentioned, get a good map and keep researching. Once you have some dots on it and a pattern begins to emerge we can help fill in the blanks and make meaningful suggestions.

When I say use the Iinterstate, I mean use it as a guide for the direction we will take ie across the South-West, trust me coming from such a small country as NZ I have no wish to populate the Interstate any more than is absolutely needed.

Has any body used any chain of campgrounds across the US and any recommendations.

The map has now been attached to the wardrobe....all I can say is i am very glad its a 2 door.

Rather than using commercial campgrounds, check out the various national, state, and local parks along the way. Commercial campgrounds are more oriented toward the RV crowd, and are frequently just as expensive as a hotel room.

Further afield.

When I say use the Iinterstate, I mean use it as a guide for the direction we will take ie across the South-West, trust me coming from such a small country as NZ I have no wish to populate the Interstate any more than is absolutely needed.

Yes I realised this, but I was suggesting you don't get too focused too soon so far south as I10 before checking out all your options first. You have plenty of time to explore and if your good lady doesn't fancy the "long stretches" through New Mexico and Texas, why not start out more northerly. You have the Sierra Nevada in Cali with the wonderful National parks of Yosemite and Sequoia. If you fancied Las Vegas you could drive through Death valley and then on to the Grand canyon. You could consider heading into Southern Utah and even into Colorado along I70 before turning south. Great National parks, driving roads and diverse scenery, from Glacial valleys to Giant Forests to Desert to Red rock to Alpine lake and mountains and so much more. That's not to say there is anything wrong opting for further south, just be sure to explore all your options, there may be more than you think.

As GLC stated, try the county, state, and national forest/park campgrounds if you are tenting. Unfortunately, the commercial campgrounds are not set up (for the most part) for tents. Sometimes they don't allow tents at all! The one exception are KOA's, which have tent sites. However, they are EXPENSIVE.

When we were tent-campers, my husband and I would stay for 2 or 3 nights in a public campground, then check into an inexpensive motel for a night to get cleaned up and enjoy a comfortable bed. One time we tried a motel with kitchenette facilities, but ended up dragging my cooking equipment inside anyway. This worked for us!